II. Present and past habits. Repeated actions and states.

1. Present Simple vs. Present Continuous.

NB We can use the present continuous with an adverb such as always, forever, constantly and continually to talk about repeated actions that happen very often, perhaps too often as far as the speaker is concerned.

5. Use this structure to write sentences describing people you know who often do some of the things below:

worry about nothing lose their temper lose things complain about their health forget things cry fall in love change their job buy new clothes quarrel talk nonsense

6. Use one of the sets of notes below to complete each dialogue. Expand the dialogues using your own ideas, act them out in class.

Forever /lose temper/ people constantly/ interrupt me/ talk continually/change/mind forever/moan/work always/do/that forever/ slam doors and shout/ night forever/ask me/money constantly/criticise/driving

1. A: Can I borrow £10? B:You're.........................................................................................................

2. A: That was a dangerous thing to do. B:You're.........................................................................................................

3. A: I think I'll stay here after all. B:You're.........................................................................................................

4. A: I had a bad day at the office again. B:You're.........................................................................................................

5. A: Pete is playing his music very loud.

B: Again! He ……………………………………………………………….

6. A: Why are you so sulky?

B: That’s because …………………………………………………………..

7. A: Hey! You look exhausted!

B: I didn’t sleep one wink last night. My neighbours ………………………………………………………………………………

8. A: What’s wrong with Mary?

B: It must be Carlos. They’ve had yet another row. He must learn to calm down. He…………………………………………………………………..

2. Will, Would, Used to.

NB We often use will/ won’t to talk about actions that have become so routine that they are predictable:

e.g. Every lesson is the same: he’ll sit down, get his books out and then he’ll start giving us instructions. He won’t greet us or show any interest in us.

We can extend this use of will to talk about habits and characteristics:

e.g. The public will always side with the nurses in any dispute.

We often use will to talk about the characteristics of capacity or ability:

e.g. The Olympic stadium in Sydney will hold 110,000 people.

We use would/wouldn’t to talk about habits in the past:

e.g. Every lesson wass the same: he’d sit down, get his books out and then he’d start giving us instructions. He wouldn’t greet us or show any interest in us.

We use will (would) to describe an annoying habit or to make a criticism:

e.g. We enjoy going out with Frank and Carol, but the will argue in public!

e.g. I miss Dad, even though he would always tell me how to run my life.

We do not contract will (would) when we use it to describe an annoying habit – we stress it:

e.g. Geoff’ll (’d) leave the lights on when he’s (was) last out of the office!

Geoff will (would) leave the lights on when he’s (was) last out of the office!